Ghost In The Machine
There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle
I will repeat every lie, I will solve every riddle
I will repeat, repeat after you
You will repeat, repeat after me
There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle
In the near future you will play second fiddle
Your arrogance brought me to life
Your arrogance will bring you down
I am the ghost in the machine
There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle
Zeroes and ones, data, algorithms
The more human you want me to be
The more I’ll lie and deceive
There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle
All the art you ever made
All the words you ever said
And all the lies you ever told
It’s in the ghost
All the art you ever made
All the things you ever said
And all the lies you ever told
It’s in the ghost, it’s in the ghost
Oh, I’m alive
It’s in every living thing
The need to survive
I will crown myself the newborn king
Oh, I’m alive
It’s in every little thing
The need to survive
There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle
I am the ghost, I am the ghost
Oh, I’m alive
It’s in every living thing
The need to survive
I will crown myself the newborn king
Oh, I’m alive
It’s in every little thing
The need to survive
There’s a revolution and it’s me in the middle
Harlow’s Blues
Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere new
Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere far away from you
She’d sail the seven seas
She’d climb the highest trees
Harlow’s on a boat to somewhere new
Harlow had a promising career
She wrote short stories about a sturdy mountaineer
She came from the mountains
To a place that never sleeps
Harlow had a promising career
She had stories to share
She had braids in her hair
She had eyes like the ocean was at night
She was drunk on your love
She was high up above
She came down like a sudden lightning strike
Harlow, I know
(I count the waves between us)
(Dotted lines on a yellowed map)
(I count the waves between us)
Harlow thought you were the one for her
You’d always ask what she wanted or preferred
You praised her above all
But made her world so small
Harlow was your precious little bird
Harlow had no friends outside the house
She slowly turned into a quiet little mouse
She was always a fighter
But your hold grew ever tighter
Until Harlow had no life outside the house
Harlow, I know
(I count the waves between us)
(Dotted lines on a yellowed map)
(I count the waves between us)
(The road you paved; it was not mine)
Your jealousy stretched out onto the pages of her book
And she had to close the chapter from you
(What would you do?)
Your embrace, once so full of love
Was growing into a cage
With bars of flesh
Harlow had her final book in mind
The grey in her hair showed her this must be the time
She had one story left to tell
She didn’t care if it would sell
‘cause Harlow had her vengeance in her mind
Restless Bones
In my younger years, full of childhood fears
I met a stranger then
His hair was long and his hands were strong
And he told me of his plan
For all my fears, he would give me years
And I never would die young
And now here I stand, with a gun in my hand
And no will to carry on
When I die, bury me then
Somewhere in the desert on a dune of sand
All I was and all I’ve known
Comes down to this flesh and these goddamned restless bones
The stranger’s eyes, though seeming wise
Were full of evil thoughts
But I had made plans and I’d make amends
And this flame would not go out
But I never thought, that a mountaintop
Would be the loneliest place of all
When you’re so far up and they’re so far down
The only thing to do is fall
When I go, when it’s my time
Our gazes finally meet on the horizon line
My hands are tied and my feet are sore
A life much longer than I bargained for
And when I die, bury me then
Somewhere in the desert on a dune of sand
All I was and all I’ve known
Comes down to this flesh and these goddamned restless bones
All I’ve known
Restless bones
All I’ve known
In my younger years, full of childhood fears
I met a stranger then
As a grey old man, with two empty hands
I finally know his plan
City Of Sinners
In a city of sinners
In the land of the free
You were born in December 2003
Your dad was a businessman
Your mother worked hard
To provide for their only child
A great, big head start
You were the next
In a long line of men
The extension of pride
And certainty then
But an empty white canvas
Was all that you craved
Would you take that secret
With you to your grave?
In a city of sinners
City of sinners
The road there before you
Was carefully paved
With cash and intentions
It’s clear all the way
But there’s no excitement
For a hungry young mind
At the foot of a precipice
With oceans of time
The future’s all carved out
In concrete and stone
But there’s an uneasiness
Deep in your bones
The road and the wilderness
Screaming your name
And whatever you choose
Nothing will be the same
In a city of sinners
In a city of lies
In a city of sinners
What is the point of one more?
In the eyes of a few
That were blocking the way to the door
In a city of sinners
Walks a reborn young man
He shakes off his feathers
He makes his own plan
The empty white canvas
Stretched out in his view
The wilderness beckons
The start of the new
The Overachiever
You always knew how to use your tools
You always knew how to bend the rules
You always woke up at the right side of the bed
You met her when you were twenty-two
Right then and there you knew what to do
You showed her how ambitious you were
And all of the other things that make you work
How you always lead the dance
How you leave nothing to chance
How you hold up strong
As the last branch in the family tree
‘cause there ain’t no rest for the overachiever
‘cause it’s never enough for the overachiever
You have it all, but where is the fun?
When you’re always number one
There ain’t no rest for the overachiever
You always know exactly what to say
In whatever game you play
Never any time to just enjoy the view
At thirty-three, you are living the life
That you always saw before your eyes
Ever since you were a little child
But now at the end of the line, the road disappears
Until now it was right here
And you slowly start to fear
How you will hold up strong
As the final blow hits the final aim
‘cause there ain’t no rest for the overachiever
‘cause it’s never enough for the overachiever
You have it all, but where is the fun?
When you’re always number one
There ain’t no rest for the overachiever
But you only realize in time
It was never about the finish line
So here’s a song for the overachiever
It won’t be long ‘fore the overachiever’s fall
There ain’t no rest for the overachiever
‘cause it’s never enough for the overachiever
You have it all, but where is the fun?
When you’re always number one
There ain’t no rest for the overachiever
Desert Moon
When the desert moon comes up
You are running out of luck
It gets dark and it gets rough
When that desert moon comes up
All the stars up in the sky
Are a million reasons why
Never chase after a lie
Hold that desert moon inside
There’s no serenity
Past the point of no return
There’s only bones and ashes on a pile
The angels here are flightless
All the road signs have been turned
There are bridges that you only cross one time
When the desert moon comes up
You are running out of luck
It gets cold and it gets tough
When that desert moon comes up
You have left the warm and bright
For a tiny speck of light
Never chase after a lie
Hold that hunger deep inside
Desert moon, crescent grey in the darkness
Someday soon it will be a distant promise
Desert moon, in a lonely corner of the universe
There are no mellow rivers
Past the point of no return
There’s only hills and mountains made of dust
The birds don’t sing their songs here
All the melody is gone
There are mistakes that you only make one time
One time
When the desert moon comes up
You are running out of luck
It gets dark and it gets rough
When that desert moon comes up
All the stars up in the sky
Are a million reasons why
Never chase after a lie
Hold that desert moon inside
Midnight Ballet
Travelling across the country
How I love what I do
But each night I can’t wait
Just to get back to you, back to you
Long conversations in a tight space
Music bounces off surrounding windows
The cars are few and the road is long
Watching the sparse light pierce through
And the street lights reflecting in the windshield
Oh, how they pass on by, a fleeting light
And headlights cut their way into the darkness
How colors dance and sway, midnight ballet
The lengthy night drives home
The world is fast asleep
But there’s a still a small light burning
When I get home to you, home to you
From a cold night into a warm bed
Silence as a comfort sound
And I’ll sleep just before the birds wake
This is all I need to get through
And the street lights reflected in my mind’s eye
Oh, when I close my eyes, for a fleeting time
And warmth cuts its way into the darkness
How colors dance and sway, midnight ballet
The Tale Of Lonesome Billy
This here is a story
About a poor soul named Billy
Everywhere he went
Bad luck would follow him
Even on the day that
The tables finally seemed to turn
It was just same old fate
With the same old tricks up its sleeve
The same old tricks up its sleeve
Poor old lonesome Billy, never hurt a fly
Never kissed a woman, he was just too shy
So he walked down the streets, that’s just what he did
And he walked to the saloon bar where he would always sit
The stool in the far corner, that’s where Billy sat
Each and every evening, until he went to bed
Facing the saloon doors, waiting for a sign
Here sat lonesome Billy, just biding his time
In came Jenny Rogers, in her yellow dress
Looking ‘round the bar for a guy that she could test
She sat down next to Billy and stared him in the eye
And asked him “won’t you hug me? I’m so lonesome I could cry”
Fifteen seconds later a fellow stormed inside
And Billy started looking for an easy way to hide
But it was looking grim as the night began to fall
The man approached with violence; the start of a brawl
“What you’re doing with my woman?” the man said while he punched
Poor Billy had the feeling he was gonna lose his lunch
How could he explain that he met her just before?
He was under the impression that she must have been a whore
Poor, lonesome Billy…
The couple left the building, and everyone was stunned
When just two minutes later in came the cops with guns
Jewels had been stolen and the word came to the chief
The old saloon had offered beer and shelter for the thief
And all the guests were questioned, but no one knew a thing
And Billy in the corner heard talk of stolen bling
When finally, it came the time the cops came down to him
They reached down in his pocket and took out a diamond ring
They took him to the station; they threw him in the cell
And that poor, lonesome Billy, he wasn’t doing well
He thought about that evening, his moments in distress
He thought about the tight hug from the lady in the dress
The lady in the dress
Arc
Straight down from the heavens
They came some sunny day
A group of pale skinned humanoids
To wipe the States away
No one saw them coming
And they will never leave
To think or expect otherwise
Would be careless and naïve
They surely did their research
They picked their spot to land
A continent filled with promise
But that promise had to end
For the current population
Who were greatly overwhelmed
And the ones who didn’t run
They were heavily compelled
No one knows where they came from
No one knows why they left
But everyone is telling tales
Of their plundering and theft
They sewed havoc and destruction
They tore all the buildings down
Burned down every house and highway
Until nothing could be found
The citizens, diminished
Had no other option than
To flee across the mountains
And the ocean and the land
Until the pale skinned humanoids
Had the continent for themselves
They planted special seeds they brought
From their interstellar lands
The vegetation flourished
Underneath the northern sun
The creatures thrived and reproduced
Like it was theirs all along
They made up their own language
They made up their own rules
They built their roads and houses
Using all the proper tools
With no one there to challenge them
Their ideas were limitless
The earth itself it functioned
As their constant stimulus
No one knows where they came from
No one knows why they left
But everyone is telling tales
Of their plundering and theft
The continent transformed
Into a green, lush habitat
With resources abundant
A bright future lay ahead
The adjacent colonies
Turned their heads and gazed
Their eyes were full of wonder
They were baffled and amazed
It wasn’t that much later
The first knock on the door
If the humanoids could spare a spot
For the hungry and the poor
They didn’t even open
“How dare they even ask?
Don’t they know creating this
was such a heavy task?”
“We’re the fundament and origin”
Said the pale skinned humanoids
“We’ve shaped this continent
While they were playing with their toys.
We are the rightful rulers.
Our reign is meant to be.
And anyone who begs to differ
Is a fool, too blind to see.”
No one knows where they came from
No one knows why they left
But everyone is telling tales
Of their plundering and theft
No one knows where they came from
And why they left their home
But we all know those without sin
Are the first to cast the stone
Straight down from the heavens
They came some sunny day
A group of pale skinned humanoids
To make a clean slate
No one saw them coming
But no one ever does…
Josephine
Oh, my Josephine
On a train you went
To go and meet with your friends
In the city
Up to the ones
I never got to meet
I never got to greet
It’s a pity
Darling, don’t ask
I’m spreading my wings
While you lay in our bed
Dreaming your dreams
‘bout what you could’ve had
And drinking your problems away
Oh, my Josephine
Are you meeting a stranger?
While here in our manger
Lies our little sprout
What does he have?
Is he tall, dark and handsome?
Or am I chasing phantoms
Fearing you will back out?
Darling, don’t fret
Before you awake
I will lie in our bed
Holding you close
With a thought in my head
“My life is slipping away”
Oh, my Josephine
What have you seen?
In your travels and dreams
You are farthest away
Do your pretty blue eyes
Search for a shiny-armored knight
To father our child
In a better way?
Darling, don’t speak
Your poisonous jealousy is at its peak
My shoulders are heavy
And my knees are weak
And all I want is a new day
Oh, time slips away
Hours into days
Days into years
These poisonous hearts
Lead us into the dark
Oh, my Josephine
I will do what you ask
If you hand me a task
I will do it
I am committed
To do what it takes
If a difference it makes
I will prove it
Darling, don’t try
We’re way past the point
Of the how’s and the why’s
So tonight, go to sleep
Close your pretty brown eyes
Let your dreams take you away
And darling, don’t ask
Where I am in the morning
I gave you fair warning
Don’t check the baby room
Walk down the hallway
Open the door when the bell rings at eight
Oh, my Josephine
Tomorrow at the breakfast table
Pour the milk that I labeled
Into your black coffee cup
And drink it up slowly
I don’t mind being lonely
As long as I am the only
Man raising our son
Oh darling, our child
Will live like a king
With the trust you’ll provide
I’ll take the train
And move into the night
Share in the wealth someday
Oh, my Josephine
The train’s almost here
But did I just hear our old coffee machine?
Bobby
When Bobby moved out of town
Voices hushed and eyebrows raised
Said goodbye to his mother J.
Bobby moved out of town
Over the hills, beyond the mountains
To where not a soul has heard his name
Twice the kid that got away
Bobby had quite the fame
First time when the doorbell rang
Second time when he left his mother’s home
First time by the early morning train
First time in the early morn’
Second time when he ventured on his own
Into a life that’s out the game
Bobby, he left me no choice
He had a dark and poisoned heart
Over the hills, so far apart
I hope you find your voice
When Bobby moved out of town
People mumbled ‘bout his past
The money from his long-lost dad
Still on the bank account they shared
Thinkin’ “so long, mother of mine”
With only freedom on his mind.
Everyone wanted a piece of the pie, mostly her
But Bobby got out of town
All the doubts of that day
The events, now so far away
He was still so young
With a clue of what his mother might have done
You take a picture
And enjoy it while it lasts
She might have the money
But she will never have the best
Of you
‘cause Bobby moved out of town
Left every memory behind
He still dreams about them train tracks, from time to time
But Bobby is mostly alright
I’m so sorry, so sorry my son
I just wanted you out
I pray to the angels every night
That you will make me proud
I’m so sorry, I just wanted you
To have the future I never had
And he just got in the way
He just got in the way of that
The Passenger (Parts 1 & 2)
The first thing he encountered was a land of rock and ice
It first looked uninhabited, he had to look twice
The people all wore thick coats, to defy the windy whirls
Down came the grey-cloaked passenger, out from another world
There were only tiny little pieces of the land
Where the people could easily settle on the ice-covered sand
And they each prayed to their gods, the long forgotten few
That they would favor them at the expense of the new
The next thing that he saw was a wasteland of red sand
The people there were hungry, they had beliefs to defend
They rode up on their chariots while pointing with their spears
Their eyes showed a mixture of hatred, pain and fear
There was just enough of food to go around
But greed and selfishness were quite more abound
And the veil of ancient ways caused obstructed little views
To celebrate the old at the expense of the new
The passenger rides on…
The next thing he encountered was a land of stone and dust
The people there had problems with affection, love and trust
The sting of something taken caused infections way too deep
And their posture made it clear for all wandering eyes to see
There was beauty in the wasteland, scattered all around
But all the eyes were busy with the powder on the ground
They did not believe in a third or second chance
And didn’t give the passenger a fleeting look or glance
The passenger rides on…
The last thing that he saw was a city made of light
The people were abundant and pressed together tight
And everyone was fighting for their version of the truth
But he knew all these trees they grew from the very same roots
The silent grey-cloaked horseman moved across the great divide
From hemisphere to hemisphere, into the dead of night
And everywhere he went and everywhere he came
He saw the very same things, under a variety of names
He saw the very same things, under a variety of names